Green Coffee Buyer Foundation and Intermediate Advanced Certificates

This is a 4-Day course

There is a $150.00 Member Discount available. Membership affiliations are listed below.

Class Dates

19 to 22 JUN 2018

2 to 5 OCT 2018

This 4-Day course is taught by a Green Coffee Professional and Q Grader Instructor. We offer this certificate program enhanced with real world practical cupping and buying exercises. The Coffee Buyer Certificate provides a solid understanding of what is involved in the purchase of coffee from the time coffee is picked to when it lands at a roasting plant. Level 1 is intended to give roasters and coffee buyers a foundation for purchasing coffee effectively, including the logistical reality of the purchase (price discovery, shipping, transport, contract terms, etc.) to make sustainable economic decisions. This course will introduce roaster buyers to various trading models and platforms, helping them navigate choices and decide on the best purchase options for their business. We have enhanced this course with Sample Roasting and Differential Cupping to fully recreate the sample evaluation and coffee contracting process. This course is the Green Coffee Foundation Certificate and the Green Coffee Intermediate Certificate of the SCA.

Foundation and Intermediate / Level 1 graduates will demonstrate a proficiency with the concepts and terminology of green coffee's agronomy, evaluation, storage, export and import as well as the sales process of purchasing green coffee.

This 4-Day course covers a great deal of content. Attendees should plan on being at the Academy of Coffee Excellence from 8:00am (08:00) to 5:30pm (17:30) each day.

$1,600.00 usd for Members

$1,750.00 usd for Non-Members

Day 1

Mill to Roaster, Green Coffee Price and Contract Impacts: This class introduces attendees to the definition, history & professional concepts behind managing the flow of coffee from seed to cup. This class picks up where farming and processing leave off and where arrival at the roasting facility begins. CB200 explores in detail the financial, time, and quality implications at each stage in the green coffee supply chain from the time coffee might be contracted: coffee cherry to consuming country warehouse. Cupping the Differential: In this part of the course we will cup coffees of similar origin and description, but of different Differential Prices. We then discuss how to position these coffees in the enterprise given their differentials from "C". Green Coffee Buying Essentials: Green coffee buyers need to use accepted terminology of the green coffee market, have tools for negotiating and purchasing effectively, and buy green coffee through spot, forward, and direct purchases successfully. This class provides instruction and activities to help gain competency in those areas. Green Coffee Market Dynamics: Green coffee buyers need to make sound purchasing and planning decisions. These decisions are critical for the financial well-being and profitability of any coffee operation. Every roaster has different needs and approaches to risk management, and roasters may not be aware of the financial tools available to them through their importers. This class provides foundation information about the "C"-Market; the basis for most green coffee buying in the world. It covers important concepts for the classroom-based workshop in which participants practice purchasing calculations and strategies. ﻿Lunch is provided.

Day 2

Day 2 opens with a review of the concepts in Day 1 to ensure that subject matter is understood. Discussion and Q&A over coffee is an integral part of the learning process. We then move into Sample Roasting: A central part of a professional Roaster’s job is to be able to evaluate green coffee for buying decisions. In order to do the evaluation, a Roaster must be able to consistently roast samples each time, using typical sample roasting equipment and cupping with SCAA protocol as the recommended guide. This class helps students begin the process of creating a consistent sample roasting program, including checking green grade, recording information, storing samples, making conscious buying decisions, having a roasting log and maintaining equipment. All attendees will get hands on time with the roasters in small groups. We have a 2 Barrel Sample Roaster, Small Drum Sample Roaster and a Fluid Bed Sample Roaster. After Sample Roasting we move into Buying On Green Coffee Market Principles: Understanding the "C" Market is critical for physical coffee buyers and sellers. This class will explore differentials in depth and demystify Open to Be Fixed Contracts. We will use our cupping notes from Differential Cupping as supporting data in this class. After going over tools and vocabulary for open to be fixed contract buying, attendees will use case studies and role play as an avenue for transferring knowledge and skills to their workplaces. Production and Inventory Control Practices: Properly managing raw materials from source to customer is an essential part of manufacturing process. Understanding and utilizing formal methods can help improve quality and profitability. This class lays the foundation of common practices of efficiency in the recognized field of production and inventory control (PIC). This class provides an overview of Supply Chain Management for the first hour of the class, then proceeds to go into more depth on production and inventory control (PIC). The instructor covers essential components, such as process design, bills of materials, process information, controls, manpower, inventory tracking, and others. Advice on information systems (software) will be included, as well as helpful information for integrating a PIC system into an organization. Lunch is provided.

Day 3

Day 3 opens with a review of the concepts in Day 2 to ensure that subject matter is understood. Discussion and Q&A over coffee is an integral part of the learning process. We then continue the sample roasting and contracting process by cupping the sample roasts and calibrating as a group. Then onto Green Coffee Purchasing Strategies: This class is a primer for roasters and importers to determine a purchasing strategy. It covers: usage, planning, buying, blending, bag sizes, shrink, spreads, carrying charges, fixing prices, different types of contracts for different purchases and the pros and cons of each. To complete the Foundation and Intermediate Certificates a practical exam and a written exam are required. The practical exam is included in the course tuition. The written exam is not included and is offered online via SCA. Lunch is provided.